ocurrir
“ocurrir” means “to happen” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to happen, to take place
Also: to occur
📝 In Action
¿Qué ocurrió anoche en el parque?
A1What happened last night in the park?
Las inundaciones ocurren cada primavera.
A2The floods happen every spring.
Si esto vuelve a ocurrir, tendremos que hablar.
B1If this happens again, we will have to talk.
to occur to (someone), to strike (someone)
Also: to come to mind
📝 In Action
Se me ocurrió una idea fantástica para el proyecto.
B1A fantastic idea occurred to me for the project. (Literally: An idea occurred itself to me.)
¿No se te ocurre nada mejor?
B1Can't you think of anything better? (Literally: Doesn't anything better occur to you?)
Nunca se nos ocurrió preguntarles la verdad.
B2It never occurred to us to ask them the truth.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ocurrir
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'ocurrir' in the sense of 'to come to mind'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin verb *occurrere*, formed by combining *ob-* (meaning 'against' or 'toward') and *currere* (meaning 'to run'). It literally meant 'to run toward' or 'to meet,' which evolved into the modern sense of 'to happen' or 'to come across.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'ocurrir' always used impersonally?
Almost always. When it means 'to happen,' it only uses the third-person forms (it/they). When it means 'to come to mind' (ocurrírsele), it still uses the third-person verb forms, but the *person* is indicated by the indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, etc.).
What is the difference between 'ocurrir' and 'pasar' (to happen)?
'Ocurrir' is slightly more formal and is often preferred in writing or formal announcements. 'Pasar' is very common and flexible in everyday spoken Spanish.